Superoxygenated air inhaling device



May 2, 1967 J. J. GOUPIL SUPEROXYGENATED AIR INHALING DEVICE Filed Sept. 9, 1964 luvzu'ron JEAN IM-cuss GOUPI L 5 A TTORa/EYS United States Patent 3,316,907 SUPEROXYGENATED AIR INHALING DEVICE Jean Jacques Goupil, 30 Ave. du President Wilson, Cachan, France Filed Sept. 9, 1964, Ser. No. 395,256 Claims priority, application France, Sept. 13, 1963,

947,462 3 Claims. (Cl. 128-205) Oxygen, the cellular combustion agent, is an element which is indispensable to life. Bodily requirements are very considerable, since there is about 1 litre of oxygen per 5 litres of blood in the human body.

This oxygen is in two different states in the blood:

(21) Oxygen combined with haemoglobin, representing the most considerable proportion.

(b) Oxygen in solution, in small quantity but playing the principal part, since this is the immediate agent of respiratory combustion, representing the reserve oxygen, renewed by dissociation of oxyhaemoglobin.

It is a factor in survival in the event of poisoning by foul air, more particularly by carbon monoxide.

This dissolved oxygen can be increased by increasing the oxygen pressure in the inhaled air.

City-dwellers, leading a sedentary life, living in an under-oxygenated atmosphere which is also polluted (C0, C0 S0 unburned hydrocarbons, the menace of tobacco smoke in confined atmospheres) tend no longer to be able to satisfy the oxygen requirements which they require physically.

In order to provide a remedy for the physiological disadvantages which result therefrom, apparatus have been constructed which enable people to breathe a super-oxygenated atmosphere, but these installations are generally very bulky, heavy and stationary, which reduces their possibility of being used for serious cases without permitting individual oxygenotherapy.

The present invention relates to a device which enables the city-dweller, whether adult, adolescent or child, to inhale superoxygenated air frequently and preferably daily at home.

The device according to the invention is constituted by the combination of a portable container of the spray-flask type provided with a valve, filled with oxygen under pressure, with an inhaler mounted on the discharge orifice of the flask and adapted to form a mixture of the flask oxygen with the ambient air under the influence of the inhalation of the user and the negative pressure created by the current of oxygen.

The device according to the invention is more particularly characterised in that it comprises:

A flask provided with an appropriate expansion system, provided with an outlet tube debouching centrally of a cruciform cavity situated in an inhaler comprising an air admission chamber situated about the tube through which the oxygen arrives, upstream of the cruciform cavity, and the bottom of which is provided with apertures for the entry of air, a mixing chamber the bottom of which is provided with orifices uniformly distributed over a circumference, situated in part at the ends of the arms of the cruciform cavity and in part in the intervals between the arms, communicating with the air admission chamber, this mixing chamber being followed by an inhalation chamber proper by way of a partition in the form of a grid, formed of concentric circles and radial elements, which is intended to ensure that the gases are mixed in a more uniform manner; the opening of the inhalation chamber is preferably fitted with a rubber mask fasciliating adhesion to the face, the assembly being provided with a rubber band forming a head grip intended to maintain the inhaler against the users face.

The dimensions, forms, and numbers of the orifices for the introduction of oxygen and for inspiring air are preferably so chosen in their relationship to one another as to supply a mixture containing one third oxygen to two thirds air.

In order to facilitate the understanding of the description, the invention will be described hereinafter with refer: ence to the accompanying drawings wherein:

FIGURE 1 shows a general view, partly in section, of a device according to the invention.

FIGURE 2 shows in detail the arrangement at the bottom of the mixing chamber of the air and oxygen admission orifices of the device of FIGURE 1.

Referring now to FIGURE 1, 1 is a.

flask containing oxygen under pressure, and

provided with a manually con trolled expansion system 2, whose outlet tube 3 supports and supplies oxygen to the inhaler proper. The body 5 of this inhaler is frusto-conical in form, provided with a grid 6 in its narrow section for ensuring the centering of the tube 4 and permitting the arrival of air. The opening on the inhaler, intended to be applied against the face, is provided with a ring or a mask 13 made of rubber and can be given a form adapted to facilitate adhesion to the face.

Furthermore, the body 5 is perforated laterally with two apertures 15 intended for the fixing of rubber bands 14 for holding the mask against the head.

Between the grid 6 and the opening of the inhaler there are situated two parts, the grid 12 and the part 7, which are secured by adhesive substances within the body 5.

The grid 12 is circular, with solid concentric circles and radial elements, and is intended to promote a turbulent flow which makes the mixture of gases more uniform.

The part 7 comprises at its end a cruciform recess 8 into which debouches centrally the tube 4. A cross-shaped part 9 adhesively secured in the recess 8 is provided with four orifices 10 situated at the end of the arms of the cross and distributed over a circle. Situated on the same circle are eight orifices 11 which are intended for the passage of the air through the part 7, so that each orifice 10 is framed by two orifices 11.

The oxygen arriving through the tube 4 into the recess 8 is distributed between the four arms of the recess and issues through the orifices 10.

The air arriving through the grid 6 flows through the orifices 11.

The proportion of oxygen in the inhaled air is determined by the relative size of the orifices 10 and 11 and the pressure of the oxygen determined by the expansion system 2; it is preferably of the order of two thirds air to one third oxygen.

The assembly constituting the subject of the invention is portable and is of small bulk and weight, which enables it to be carried about and used at home.

When a flask is empty, it is easily replaced by a full flask on which the inhaler is re-fitted.

I claim:

1. A device for permitting inhalation of super-oxygenated air from a container filled with oxygen under pressure comprising a tubular inhaler having an open end adapted to be fitted over the users face, a first grid at the opposite end of said inhaler having perforations therethrough for the inflow of air, an interior wall extending across said tubular inhaler between said grid and the open end of said inhaler, means defining a plurality of substantially radially extending ducts adjacent said wall each terminating in an opening directed toward the open end of said inhaler, an oxygen supply tube extending through said grid and said interior wall into communication with each of said ducts, said wall having at least one opening between adjacent radially extending ducts for the flow of air from the grid side of the wall to the open end, and a second grid spaced from said interior wall toward the open end of said inhaler and defining a mixing chamber in said inhaler between said interior Wall and said second grid, said second grid having an opening therethrough for the passage of the intermixed air and oxygen to the user at the open end.

2. A device according to claim 1, wherein said means defining a plurality of substantially radially extending ducts comprises a recess formed in said Wall of cruciform configuration, and a cruciform plate having radially extending arms each of which has an opening adjacent the end thereof, and wherein said second grid has a plurality of openings for the passage of the mixture of air and oxygen therethrough.

3. A device according to claim 1, wherein said tubular inhaler is provided With a rubber mask surrounding the 41. open end for facilitating adhesion to the face and band means for securing the inhaler to a persons face.

References ited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,970,594 2/1961 Doak 128-203 3,001,524 9/1961 Maison et a1 128-208 3,170,463 2/1965 Duggan 128-205 3,186,407 6/1965 Morrison 128-203 RICHARD A. GAUDET, Primary Examiner.

K. L. HOWELL, Assistant Examiner. 

1. A DEVICE FOR PERMITTING INHALATION OF SUPER-OXYGENATED AIR FROM A CONTAINER FILLED WITH OXYGEN UNDER PRESSURE COMPRISING A TUBULAR INHALER HAVING AN OPEN END ADAPTED TO BE FITTED OVER THE USER''S FACE, A FIRST GRID AT THE OPPOSITE END OF SAID INHALER HAVING PERFORATIONS THERETHROUGH FOR THE INFLOW OF AIR, AN INTERIOR WALL EXTENDING ACROSS SAID TUBULAR INHALER BETWEEN SAID GRID AND THE OPEN END OF SAID INHALER, MEANS DEFINING A PLURALITY OF SUBSTANTIALLY RADIALLY EXTENDING DUCTS ADJACENT SAID WALL EACH TERMINATING IN AN OPENING DIRECTED TOWARD THE OPEN END OF SAID INHALER, AN OXYGEN SUPPLY TUBE EXTENDING THROUGH SAID GRID AND SAID INTERIOR WALL INTO COMMUNICATION WITH EACH OF SAID DUCTS, SAID WALL HAVING AT LEAST ONE OPENING BETWEEN ADJACENT RADIALLY EXTENDING DUCTS FOR THE FLOW OF AIR FROM THE GRID SIDE OF THE WALL TO THE OPEN END, AND A SECOND GRID SPACED FROM SAID INTERIOR WALL TOWARD THE OPEN END OF SAID INHALER AND DEFINING A MIXING CHAMBER IN SAID INHALER BETWEEN SAID INTERIOR WALL AND SAID SECOND GRID, SAID SECOND GRID HAVING AN OPENING THERETHROUGH FOR THE PASSAGE OF THE INTERMIXED AIR AND OXYGEN TO THE USER AT THE OPEN END. 